Paper sheet dispensing carton



June 23, 1942.` w.f.a. EDMoNs-roN PAPE SHEET nIsPENsING CARTON Fnac oct. so, 14Q

INVENTOR Y ATTORNEYS y Patented June 23, 1942 2,287,420 PAPER SHEET msPENsiNG CARTON William E.

Edmonston, or to Riegel Paper Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Chappaqua, N. Y., assign- New York, N. Y.,

Application October 30, 1940, Serial No. 363,512

(Cl. G- 57) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing cartons and more particularly to a carton or package for holding sheeted materials and permitting withdrawal of single sheets.

Various products, such as facial tissues, paper towels and the like, are now packaged in inexpensive cardboard cartons having the top or side scored to permit opening the package and to permit withdrawal of one or more of the sheets as desired. Such packages permit ready removal of the individual sheets when the carton is full or substantially full but it is sometimes diflicult to remove them when the package is nearly exhausted.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide various types of followers for dispensing cartons adapted to dispense individual sheets. In some instances a metallic spring member is placed under or behind the pile of sheets to feed them toward the opening. In other instances an insert of cardboard or other fibrous material has been used. All such suggestions, however, include the provision of an additional member which must be placed in the carton before the carton is lled.

In the present invention I provide a follower for a dispensing carton f-ormed in the bottom of the carton and consisting of a pair of interlocking members which are formed by scoring the bottom of the carton. When the full, the interlocking members are flat and form a portion of the bottom. As the contents of the carton are depleted, these interlocking members are raised to an angular position wherein they interlock with each other to retain this position and form a support which is spaced from the bottom of the carton. This support thus raises the contents toward the outlet opening and makes it easier to remove individual sheets.

The device of my invention possesses several advantages over similar devices heretofore suggested. In the first place, it is very inexpensive and can be applied to any dispensing carton made of cardboard or similar material for the relativellT small cost of forming the necessary perforations. An additional advantage is the fact that the follower does not occupy a portion of the box when the box is filled. When the box is filled, or substantially full, the members forming the follower are flat and form a portion of the bottom of the carton. As the contents are depleted, the follower, however, can be placed in operative position by the user and will facilitate the removal of the remaining sheets.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown one form of the invention. In this showing:

carton is substantially I Fig. 1 is a vertical, sectional view of a dispensing 'carton of ordinary form showing the top in open position and showing the interlocking members of the follower in inoperative position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the bottom of the carton illustrating the position of the followers when the package is'full, ory substantially full;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view, similar to Fig.rl, showing the interlocking members of the follower in operative position'to raise the contents of the package after the contents have been partially exhausted;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the carton; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical, sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 2 with the interlocking members of the follower in raised position.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral I designates generally a box or carton formed of cardboard or other similar material, such as is now used quite extensively for packaging facial tissues, paper towels and the like. The top of the box is provided with scoring 2 to form a cover 3 which may be opened as indicated in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a carton having a substantially oval shaped opening, but this is merely for the purpose of illustration and the opening may be of any desired shape. Individual sheets 4 of cellulosic or other similar material are arranged in the carton and these sheets may be piled one upon another or may be interlocked, if desired, so that the removal of the top sheet tends to feed the next sheet toward the opening.' The parts heretofore described are of usual construction and form no part of the present invention, except in the combination claimed.

It will be apparent that when a carton of the type illustrated in Fig. 1 is partially emptied, there is a certain amount of difficulty in removing additional lsheets from the package because the opening 2 is preferably of restricted size to prevent unintentional removal of more than a single sheet at a time. To overcome this diiculty, I provide the follower forming the subject matter of the present invention by means of which a depleted supply of sheets 4 may be raised toward the opening 2 as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The follower consists of a pair of interlocking members formed in the bottom 5 of the carton, preferably by die cutting and by scoring. Each of the interlocking members consists of a body portion 6 and an extension 1 of less width than the body portion. Where the extension `ioins the body portion, each of the interlocking members is shaped to form an interlocking ear 8,

Normally the interlocking members 6 form a portion of the bottom of the carton. The bottom of the carton is cut along the edges 9, I0, II and I2 of the interlocking members and the edges of the ears 8 and is scored, or die cut and scored, along the bottom or folding edge of the interlocking members as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The interlocking members are connected to the bottom of the carton on the scored line and also at three or more points I 3 on the corners or sides 9, I0, II and I2 or Where one of the sides joins the ear 8.` These connections I3, except on the folding edge, are to be broken when the interlocking members are put in use and are for the purpose of holding the interlocking members in place in the bottom of the carton until they are put in use.

In use the follower is originally in the inoperative position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing and the carton is filled in the usual manner. As the contents become depleted, the user exerts a slight pressure upon the interlocking members 6 to break the connections I3 which hold the interlocking members in place and separate the interlocking members from the bottom of the carton along the scored lines and move them upwardly into the carton. When the members assume the inclined position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the body portion 6 of each of the inter-V locking members is over the extension 'I of the other interlocking member. The ears 8 then spring past each other into interlocking engagement and the follower then assumes the position shown in Fig, 3 of the drawing forming a false bottom to support the contents of the box in a raised position as shown in Fig. 3.

Throughout the specication the terms top and bottom are used to designate the two sides, faces or ends of the package which are opposite to each other and are not to be limited to the actual top or bottom of the carton. Thus in instances where the opening 2 for removing the contents is arranged in one side Wall of the carton, the follower will be formed in the opposite wall.

I claim:

1. A paper sheet dispensing carton having an opening in one wall through whichfindividual sheets may be Withdrawn, and a follower forming a portion of the opposite Wall, said follower comprising a pair of interlocking sections formed by scoring the wall, the interlocking sections being adapted to be folded into the carton in angular position and engaging each other to retain them in such position.

2. A paper sheet dispensing carton having an opening in one Wall through which individual sheets may be Withdrawn, the opposite wall being scored to form a pair of interlocking members adapted to be folded into the carton in angular position toward each other, and means carried by the interlocking members and engaging each other to retain them in folded position.

3. A paper sheet dispensing carton having an opening in one wall through which individual sheets may be Withdrawn, the opposite wall being scored to form a pair of members each comprising a body portion and an extension, each of said members being provided With an ear at the end of the body portion adjacent the extension, said members being foldable into the carton with the extension of one member arranged adjacent the body portion of the other member and with said ears interlocked to retain the members in an angular position to form a support spaced from said wall.

4. A paper sheet dispensing carton having an opening in one wall through which individual sheets may be withdrawn, the opposite wall being die cut and scored to form a pair of members adapted to be separated from the wall, the die cut edges of the members being joined to the body portion of the Wall at a plurality of spaced points, each of said members comprising a body portion and an extension, each of said members being provided with an ear at the end of the 'body portion adjacent the extension, said inembers being `foldable into the carton with the extension of one member arranged adjacent the body portion of the other member and With the ears interlocked to retain the members i'n an angular position to form a support spaced from said Wall,

WILLIAM E. EDMONSTON. 

